Technology Over Time

Human technology has evolved over time, in response to our needs and desires.  Let’s take a look back in time, at real and imagined technology  before now, to see a reflection of our own human evolution.

The word “technology” is now commonly understood to mean only the electronic and digital devices that have become central to our everyday living.  But the broader meaning of technology, from the word’s Greek roots, is simply “the way we do things” – and the way can be manual and mechanical as well as electronic.  With all three forms of technology active today, what got us to this point – first with manual technology then with mechanical and now with electronic?  What do we see, when we look back at previous generations and the directions they were headed with the technology they developed and dreamed of?  Maybe we will recognize some of our own present in that reflection, and as we take ourselves back in time to see things their eyes can we rediscover a new way of looking at our own time?

Latest Technology Over Time

  • Great Pyramid of Giza

    After Centuries of Exploring the Mysteries of the Great Pyramid Shafts, Will Robotics Help to Uncover Their Purpose? 

    Over 200 years have passed since French Emperor Napoleon’s night in the Great Pyramid puzzling over its purpose, and there remains no consensus but many theories on the question. The reason for the shafts in the King’s and Queen’s Chambers is particularly mystifying, and we explore many possibilities. Will robots, which have penetrated the shafts most deeply, help to unlock the secret that’s thousands of years old?

  • Decoding Ancient Technology Using Modern Technology

    From the discovery of a 500-year-old ocean-going canoe in the Chatham Islands to the AI-powered decoding of ancient Roman scrolls buried in volcanic ash, modern technologies—like radiocarbon dating, CT scanning, and AI—are transforming the study of ancient artefacts. Mysteries endure, however, like the undeciphered Voynich Manuscript, and continue to challenge our understanding of the past.

  • The Fascinating History of the Computer, from ENIAC, Vacuum Tubes and Transistors, to Microchips

    We trace computing history from ENIAC, the first computer in 1947, from vacuum tubes to transistors, to the development of microchips that put far greater computing power in our our phones than the giant ENIAC had. With the world at the brink of a quantum computing revolution, what lessons can we draw from our computing history to shape the best possible future with our next technological leap ?

  • Ancient Roman Concrete: A Technology Ahead of Its Time

    The Colosseum and Pantheon stand witness to the knowledge and skill behind ancient Roman concrete-making technology. We look at the history of concrete from then to now, and take you into the Pantheon to explore the marvels that ancient Romans accomplished with concrete.

  • The Mystery of the Ancient Roman Dodecahedrons

    What was the purpose of these curious dodecahedrons, discovered in the northern parts of the ancient Roman Empire? Why does no record exist to explain their use and manufacture? We review the intriguing possibilities, but more detective work is needed to uncover the truth of this ancient technology.

  • The Genius of Alan Turing, and the Technology that Cracked the Nazi Enigma Code

    Alan Turing’s skills in mathematics and computer science helped build the “Bombe,” the computing machine that cracked the Nazi Enigma code. The technology was instrumental in the Allied victory over Hitler.

The Quantum Record is a non-profit journal of philosophy, science, technology, and time. The potential of the future is in the human mind and heart, and in the common ground that we all share on the road to tomorrow. Promoting reflection, discussion, and imagination, The Quantum Record highlights the good work of good people and aims to join many perspectives in shaping the best possible time to come. We would love to stay in touch with you, and add your voice to the dialogue.

Join Our Community